Compare Ghana (2005) - Benin (2003)

Compare Ghana (2005) z Benin (2003)

	Ghana (2005)	Benin (2003)

Administrative divisions	10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western	12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Age structure	0-14 years: 37.1% (male 3,946,326/female 3,862,390) 15-64 years: 59.1% (male 6,203,035/female 6,235,107) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 366,472/female 416,523) (2005 est.)	0-14 years: 47% (male 1,668,817; female 1,638,291) 15-64 years: 50.7% (male 1,739,517; female 1,834,231) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 67,504; female 93,130) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber	cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)
Airports	12 (2004 est.)	5 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)	total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
Area	total: 239,460 sq km land: 230,940 sq km water: 8,520 sq km	total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Oregon	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background	Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and a ban on political parties. A new constitution, restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President Atta MILLS in a free and fair election, succeeded him.	Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged.
Birth rate	23.97 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	43.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $2.17 billion expenditures: $2.56 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)	revenues: $377.4 million expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
Capital	Accra	Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government
Climate	tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north	tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Coastline	539 km	121 km
Constitution	approved 28 April 1992	December 1990
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Ghana conventional short form: Ghana former: Gold Coast	conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey
Currency	-	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Death rate	10.84 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	13.65 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$7.396 billion (2004 est.)	$1.6 billion (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348 FAX: [233] (21) 701-813	chief of mission: Ambassador Wayne NEILL embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30-06-50 FAX: [229] 30-06-70
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Alan J. KYEREMATEN chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520 FAX: [1] (202) 686-4527 consulate(s) general: New York	chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996
Disputes - international	Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped rebel fighting in Cote d'Ivoire	two villages are in dispute along the border with Burkina Faso; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated, but states accept 2001 arbitration over disputed Niger River islands; several villages along the Okpara River are in dispute with Nigeria; in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved the boundary stones - joint commission presently resurveying the boundary
Economic aid - recipient	$6.9 billion (1999)	$342.6 million (2000)
Economy - overview	Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold, timber, and cocoa production are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 34% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002. Priorities include tighter monetary and fiscal policies, accelerated privatization, and improvement of social services. Receipts from the gold sector helped sustain GDP growth in 2004. Inflation should ease, but remain a major internal problem.	The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged a stable 5% in the past six years, but rapid population rise has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. The 2001 privatization policy should continue in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of initial government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, while pressing for speeded-up structural reforms.
Electricity - consumption	6.137 billion kWh (2002)	631.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	500 million kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	200 million kWh (2002)	376 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	6.922 billion kWh (2002)	274.3 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 14.2% hydro: 85.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m
Environment - current issues	recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water	inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	black African 98.5% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)	African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Exchange rates	cedis per US dollar - 9,004.6 (2004), 8,677.4 (2003), 7,932.7 (2002), 7,170.8 (2001), 5,455.1 (2000)	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by Parliament elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008) election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president in election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 53.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.7%	chief of state: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; runoff election held 22 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: Mathieu KEREKOU reelected president; percent of vote - Mathieu KEREKOU 84.1%, Bruno AMOUSSOU 15.9% note: the four top-ranking contenders following the first-round presidential elections were: Mathieu KEREKOU (incumbent) 45.4%, Nicephore SOGOLO (former president) 27.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and Bruno AMOUSSOU (Minister of State) 8.6%; the second-round balloting, originally scheduled for 18 March 2001, was postponed four days because both SOGOLO and HOUNGBEDJI withdrew alleging electoral fraud; this left KEREKOU to run against his own Minister of State, AMOUSSOU, in what was termed a "friendly match"
Exports	NA	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds	cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
Exports - partners	Mexico 69.8%, Netherlands 3.7%, UK 3% (2004)	India 25%, Italy 11.1%, Indonesia 7.4%, China 7.2%, Thailand 6.7%, Brazil 6.1%, UK 4.4%, Niger 4% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band	two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $7.38 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 34.3% industry: 24.2% services: 41.4% (2004 est.)	agriculture: 38% industry: 15% services: 47% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2004 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5.4% (2004 est.)	6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	8 00 N, 2 00 W	9 30 N, 2 15 E
Geography - note	Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake	sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Highways	total: 46,176 km paved: 8,496 km unpaved: 37,679 km (1999 est.)	total: 6,787 km paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,430 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2.2% highest 10%: 30.1% (1999)	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to a lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US; widespread crime and money laundering problem, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center	transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly regulated financial infrastructure
Imports	NA	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs	foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners	Nigeria 12.6%, China 11.4%, UK 6.6%, US 6.4%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.2% (2004)	China 30.7%, France 15.7%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.2% (2002)
Independence	6 March 1957 (from UK)	1 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	3.8% (2000 est.)	8.3% (2001 est.)
Industries	mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building	textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)
Infant mortality rate	total: 51.43 deaths/1,000 live births male: 54.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 48.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)	total: 86.76 deaths/1,000 live births male: 91.79 deaths/1,000 live births female: 81.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	13% (2004 est.)	3.3% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	4 (2002)
Irrigated land	110 sq km (1998 est.)	120 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court	Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Labor force	10.24 million (2004 est.)	NA
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% (1999 est.)	-
Land boundaries	total: 2,094 km border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km	total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Land use	arable land: 16.26% permanent crops: 9.67% other: 74.07% (2001)	arable land: 15.28% permanent crops: 1.36% other: 83.36% (1998 est.)
Languages	English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Legal system	based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from 200 seats in last election; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10	unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Presidential Movement 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 58.47 years male: 57.7 years female: 59.26 years (2005 est.)	total population: 51.08 years male: 50.35 years female: 51.84 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.8% male: 82.7% female: 67.1% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 40.9% male: 56.2% female: 26.5% (2000)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo	Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Map references	Africa	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm	territorial sea: 200 NM
Merchant marine	total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 19,086 GRT/26,185 DWT by type: petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3 foreign-owned: 1 (Brazil 1) (2005)	none (2002 est.)
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force	Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$49.2 million (2004)	$80.8 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.6% (2004)	2.7% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability	-	note: both sexes are liable for military service males age 15-49: 1,597,562 females age 15-49: 1,536,036 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 805,603 females age 15-49: 809,961 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 75,021 females: 78,998 (2003 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 6 March (1957)	National Day, 1 August (1960)
Nationality	noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian	noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese
Natural hazards	dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts	hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Natural resources	gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Net migration rate	-0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	refined products 74 km (2004)	-
Political parties and leaders	Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA, chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA, general secretary]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People's Convention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman]; People's Heritage Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE]; People's National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU, general secretary]	African Congress for Renewal or DUNYA [Saka SALEY]; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Coalition of Democratic Forces [Gatien HOUNGBEDJI]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Jerome Sakia KINA]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Bertin BORNA]; Key Force or FC [leader NA]; Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, IDP, and 4 other small parties); Renaissance Party du Benin or PRB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU] note: approximately 20 additional minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	21,029,853 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)	7,041,490 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	31.4% (1992 est.)	37% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	1.25% (2005 est.)	2.95% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Takoradi, Tema	Cotonou, Porto-Novo
Radio broadcast stations	AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001)	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)
Railways	total: 953 km narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)	total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)
Religions	Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21%	indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of services is underway domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed international: country code - 233; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia	general assessment: NA domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); submarine cable
Telephones - main lines in use	302,300 (2003)	51,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular	799,900 (2003)	55,500 (2000)
Television broadcast stations	10 (2001)	1;; (2001)
Terrain	mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area	mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Total fertility rate	3.02 children born/woman (2005 est.)	6.04 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	20% (1997 est.)	NA%
Waterways	1,293 km note: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta (2003)	streams navigable along small sections, important only locally

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